Friendly Idols - bringing famous Viennese artworks to life with a smile

Vienna has a reputation for playing two contradictory roles: it's often ranked among the most livable cities in the world, yet also considered one of the least friendly! The Austrian capital’s image is often tied to the Wiener Grant, a kind of grumpy charm that’s as much a part of the city as its rich cultural history. But could the city’s famous grumpiness be influenced by all the stern faces seen in its art?

For World Smile Day, the Vienna Tourist Board launched the Friendly Idols campaign and teamed up with Artivive to help make some of Vienna’s most iconic artworks smile—literally. The campaign added a playful twist to well-known works by artists like Schiele, Klimt, and Dürer. By scanning the artworks with the Artivive app, serious faces turned unexpectedly friendly.

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The experience was featured across five major museums in Vienna and extended online as well. Visitors of the Belvedere Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Wien Museum, Leopold Museum, and the Albertina Museum were invited to scan the famous paintings with the Artivive App and see the “grumpy” famous figures greet them with a smile.

We collaborated with a great member of the Artivive community and a talented artist, Diego Cataldi, on this project. Using AI technology, he brought smiles to the figures on over 20 paintings.

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The project was also backed by a strong social media campaign that reached a wide audience and created a lot of engagement. The mix of iconic art, subtle humor, and interactive technology resonated with locals and visitors alike.

With ‘Friendly Idols’, the Vienna Tourist Board wanted to make this exciting facet of Vienna visible and contribute to a better understanding of the city's unique character.

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Find more information on Vienna Tourism Board‘s website.

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